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Due to my downsized layout I'm considering selling one of my prized locomotives.? This is a Jesse Bennett built brass Southern Pacific AC-5 Cab Forward. It is one of only two in S scale.? Jesse built one for himself and this one for Lee Johnson.? I upgraded it several years ago with the correct and higher quality River Raisin brass castings.? It runs very well (typical of Jesse's work) and is tender drive using a large Pittman motor.? It operates around the minimum 28" radius curves on my layout just fine.? If interested, please contact me directly at bob.hogan@.... Many thanks.,
Bob Hogan
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I believe this is an AC-6 that Jesse built, but looking at your pictures, I suspect it was never really finished as the number boards are empty. I picked this up at a train show in the Sacramento CA area and the seller knew nothing about it except that it was(is) scale. It has the typical tender drive and has had a somewhat rough life as some details are missing or damaged.? Still it was way too cheap, and it was afternoon when I bought it--in spite of the seller having a table right at the show's entrance!! I will admit I didn't see it at first until he pointed it out to me, so maybe it was all about presentation!
S'
David Dewey
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David...
It looks more like a later AC to me but?I'd need?to see more to be certain of the model type.? Does it have a square tender or Vanderbilt?? Class AC-5 & 6 had the Vandys.? Class AC 7's and later had square tenders.? Did the?model come to you with the number 4137?? Only 4 AC-6's were known to have received the "modern" cab, but #4137 was not one?of them.
There's no?doubt that Jesse had not totally finished the locomotive, but he did not install?the window glazing or number boards in Lee's loco either.? The paint job looks to be Jesse's, however. Not his forte.? Just a rough coat of Floquil black.
Bob
I believe this is an AC-6 that Jesse built, but looking at your pictures, I suspect it was never really finished as the number boards are empty. I picked this up at a train show in the Sacramento CA area and the seller knew nothing about it except that it was(is) scale. It has the typical tender drive and has had a somewhat rough life as some details are missing or damaged.? Still it was way too cheap, and it was afternoon when I bought it--in spite of the seller having a table right at the show's entrance!! I will admit I didn't see it at first until he pointed it out to me, so maybe it was all about presentation!
S'
David Dewey
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?Bob,
?Yes the number was already on it. I didn't realize how many classes of cab forwards there were, and yes, it has a square tender--not certain why I don't have a picture with the tender in it! Any idea how many of these he built?
David D.
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David...
According to Lee Johnson,?his?AC-5 was the?only cab-forward Jesse?built for others.? I have no doubt that yours is a Bennett-built model, however.? It may have been for his layout. It's a bit of?a mystery as to what his kids did with his models when they tore out the layout.? Your AC model may?have been the one he built for?himself.? I'd need to see more photos of it, but the model could?be anything from an AC-6 to AC-12.? No matter what, the number is incorrect, as I noted before.? Hope this helps. Bob
?Bob,
?Yes the number was already on it. I didn't realize how many classes of cab forwards there were, and yes, it has a square tender--not certain why I don't have a picture with the tender in it! Any idea how many of these he built?
David D.
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Bob, Would this tender be appropriate behind his AC? We have one for sale at the museum. Can anyone tell us the original RRM price? Tommy
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Tommy…Only correct for the earlier 2-6-6-2 cab forwards.
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On Jan 29, 2025, at 11:14 AM, Tom Lennon via groups.io <milepost169@...> wrote:
? Bob, Would this tender be appropriate behind his AC? We have one for sale at the museum. Can anyone tell us the original RRM price? Tommy  
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Thanks for the info. Tommy
Tommy…Only correct for the earlier 2-6-6-2 cab forwards. ? Bob, Would this tender be appropriate behind his AC? We have one for sale at the museum. Can anyone tell us the original RRM price? Tommy  
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Tommy,
? The motor is in the tender, one of the "features" of Jesse's locomotives! Kinda hard to change tenders! I will try to get some more photos this week, if I can remember where I put the engine (major remodeling going on here, so most everything is packed!).
David
PS wonder why he used the "wrong" number??
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David...
My guess?is that when he built it, we/he didn't have?all of?the locomotive information/books that we enjoy today.
Bob
Tommy,
? The motor is in the tender, one of the "features" of Jesse's locomotives! Kinda hard to change tenders! I will try to get some more photos this week, if I can remember where I put the engine (major remodeling going on here, so most everything is packed!).
David
PS wonder why he used the "wrong" number??
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Tommy....
This is a 120 SC-4 Espee tender. Dan paired it with a Espee MK-6 2-8-2. Bob
On Wed, Jan 29, 2025 at 12:42?PM Tom Lennon via <milepost169= [email protected]> wrote: Thanks for the info. Tommy
Tommy…Only correct for the earlier 2-6-6-2 cab forwards. ? Bob, Would this tender be appropriate behind his AC? We have one for sale at the museum. Can anyone tell us the original RRM price? Tommy  
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Oh, and SP Mike then. I have no SP references other than on line, so thank you.
BTW, the tender is for sale.
Tommy
Tommy....
This is a 120 SC-4 Espee tender. Dan paired it with a Espee MK-6 2-8-2. Bob
On Wed, Jan 29, 2025 at 12:42?PM Tom Lennon via <milepost169= [email protected]> wrote: Thanks for the info. Tommy
Tommy…Only correct for the earlier 2-6-6-2 cab forwards. ? Bob, Would this tender be appropriate behind his AC? We have one for sale at the museum. Can anyone tell us the original RRM price? Tommy  
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FWIW: ? I believe the “sister” to this loco was acquired by Arden Geohring from either Jesse himself or the estate.? When Arden passed, the Geohring family donated the loco to the NMRA for display in its The Magic of Scale Model Railroading exhibit at the California State Railroad Museum.? Even though the museum is in my backyard, I have not gone to see if the loco was displayed.? Guess I need to take a trip . . . ? John Gibson Rocklin, CA ? ?
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John...
My model is the AC-5 locomotive that Jesse built for Lee.? I did some work on it for?Lee?and know it well. Lee and his old BASS layout were kinda tough on his models.? It went to Arden after Lee's passing and then it came to me., not the?CSRM.? ?This I know for a fact.??
There was a sister AC-5 on Jesse's layout.? THAT is the one that we do not know?what happened to it.? If there is an AC-5 on display at the CSRM it would be Jesse's model as there were only two built.? It is also unclear as to what happened to the balance of the Jesse-built brass locomotives.? He had a UP Big Boy, a UP Challenger, a AC-12?cab forward and several other award winning articulateds running on his layout.? My assumption was that his estate/family kept them all, but anything is possible.? Maybe the one at CSRM (if really/still there) is actually one of his AC-12 models? I was surprised?to hear from David on the cab forward model he acquired.? It is of the AC-10 to 12 type and is certainly a Bennett-built?model.? Lee told me that Jesse never made a cab forward for?anyone else but him and how much persuading it took to get Jesse to build it.? Gotta love a mystery!
Bob Hogan
FWIW: ? I believe the “sister” to this loco was acquired by Arden Geohring from either Jesse himself or the estate.? When Arden passed, the Geohring family donated the loco to the NMRA for display in its The Magic of Scale Model Railroading exhibit at the California State Railroad Museum.? Even though the museum is in my backyard, I have not gone to see if the loco was displayed.? Guess I need to take a trip . . . ? John Gibson Rocklin, CA ? ?
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Here is the Jess Bennett Cab Foward in the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento, CA. They also have a Jess Bennett built Challenger and Big Boy.
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Robert, Outstanding! Thanks. Roger Nulton ?
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From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Robert Carter via groups.io
Sent: Thursday, January 30, 2025 9:25 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [S-Scale] Unique Southern Pacific AC-5 Cab Forward 4-8-8-2 for sale? Here is the Jess Bennett Cab Foward in the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento, CA. They also have a Jess Bennett built Challenger and Big Boy.
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Robert...
Many thanks for confirming this Jesse Bennett locomotive is at the CSRM.? The model is of SP #4209, a AC-10 Cab Forward. It has the "modern" cab and is detailed correctly?for?an AC-10, 11 or 12.?
?I noticed on the NASG website that a Leonard Williams has videos of Jesse's Northern Pacific Yellowstone #5011 (2-8-8-4) and a UP Challenger of his that is unpainted.? There is a direct link to view these two models?running.? ? If his UP Challenger and Big Boy are at CSRMthat means he built at least two Challengers,?including Leonard William's.? Still unaccounted for is his personal AC-5 "Flat faced" Cab Forward.? It can be seen on the NASG website, together with three other articulateds, in Vic Cherven's roundhouse photo on Jesse's layout.
Progress!
Bob Hogan
On Thu, Jan 30, 2025 at 1:08?PM Roger Nulton via <roger.nulton= [email protected]> wrote: Robert, Outstanding! Thanks. Roger Nulton ? ? Here is the Jess Bennett Cab Foward in the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento, CA. They also have a Jess Bennett built Challenger and Big Boy.
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Bob: ? The please read my message more carefully.? I was not discussing your AC-5.? The second AC-5 as well as the Big Boy and Challenger ( and I think the AC-12 though I do not recall) went to the NMRA for display at CSRM.? The same guy that sent you your AC-5 at the direction of the Goehring family delivered these locos to Bob Brown and Charlie Getz who were heading up the NMRA exhibit at the CSRM.? ? ? Thanks to Robert Carter who confirmed that these locos are on display.? I hope to have the opportunity to see them this weekend when I attend the LdSig/OpSig meeting at CSRM this weekend. ? ~ John
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John...Thanks For The response.? I had not ment?to start a thread on?Jesse Bennett locomotives, but I do find all of the responses interesting. I believe it's important to remember where the works of art from our early and very talented S scale modelers went/are. Not just Jesse, either.? It's Worth a page or two on the NASG website.? We both?know who sent me the AC-5 and I remain most appreciative.? It took a lot of effort to get it back to running plus up to date with Dan's brass castings.? There's probably?a good story as to how Arden ended up with those models.? He once told me the family wanted to keep them.? Also, I wonder who the guy is with the podcast (you tube) showing the Yellowstone and unpainted brass Challenger?operating.? There is a link to both on the NASG website.??
Many thanks & I hope all is?well with you.
Bob
Bob: ? The please read my message more carefully.? I was not discussing your AC-5.? The second AC-5 as well as the Big Boy and Challenger ( and I think the AC-12 though I do not recall) went to the NMRA for display at CSRM.? The same guy that sent you your AC-5 at the direction of the Goehring family delivered these locos to Bob Brown and Charlie Getz who were heading up the NMRA exhibit at the CSRM.? ? ? Thanks to Robert Carter who confirmed that these locos are on display.? I hope to have the opportunity to see them this weekend when I attend the LdSig/OpSig meeting at CSRM this weekend. ? ~ John
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I already have a precedence for this in the "How To" section of the NASG web site, under the "Scratchbuilding" area:
(see its "Examples" sub-header)
It would be no big deal for me to add a page dedicated to Jesse Bennett's models, if you all want to contribute photos, texts, etc. to me. I'll be happy to play the editor to put it all together in a nice presentation. I think it would be a worthwhile effort, to preserve his memory.
- Peter (as NASG webmaster)
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On 01/31/2025 06:34 AM, adguytrains via groups.io wrote: It's Worth a page or two on the NASG website.
--
Peter Vanvliet (info@...)
owner, Fourth Ray Software
Houston, Texas
(personal web site)
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David Dewey
Tom Lennon
Robert Carter
Roger Nulton